Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Uniting Griffith is 3.93 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% across other homes.
Getting needed care is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.5% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 222 vs 220 minutes; registered nurses: 42 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
79% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% across other homes.
Respectful treatment is below the survey average
86% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.9% across other homes.
Sources and Explanation
This is a programmatic interpretation of published data, not an in-person inspection or a separate expert-assigned score. The figures are the Elderberry Index and its four government component ratings; a measure the home has no published rating for is left out. Our rating methodology.
Ratings: August 2026. Survey comparisons: 2025 interview responses from that extract. Other Australian homes in the same ratings extract; survey comparisons also require the same interview year. Each eligible home has equal weight; missing/invalid values excluded. These are descriptive comparisons, not resident-weighted or adjusted for differences in care needs.
How findings are selected
Survey gaps of at least 3 percentage points, rating gaps of at least 0.3 stars, and changes of at least 10 percentage points can qualify. These are editorial selection thresholds, not tests of statistical significance. Benchmarks need at least 30 homes. Each side shows up to three eligible findings; missing values never become negative findings. Specific combined food evidence and sustained care-target results are prioritised, then larger differences. Respect and caring are grouped when both qualify.
Food spending uses the My Aged Care sector median for Jan–Mar 2026; resident enjoyment comes from the 2025 survey. The combined finding reports two separate observations from different reporting periods; it does not establish that spending caused the survey result. Year-to-year survey samples may differ and respondent counts are unavailable. Care consistency uses the latest four submitted, quality-checked care-minute records and direct RN minutes without EN top-up.
A lower compliance rating is a comparison with other homes, not a claim of an active sanction. Higher expenditure alone is not treated as better care. Unadjusted clinical incident measures are not used to rank quality here.
My Aged Care home profile · Government Star Ratings extract
Benchmark populations
| Measure | Mean | Other homes |
|---|---|---|
| Elderberry Index | 3.81 | 2365 |
| Residents’ experience | 3.62 | 2434 |
| Compliance | 4.83 | 2395 |
| Staffing | 3.18 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.87% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Uniting Griffith?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff know what they are doing, 79% of residents surveyed at Uniting Griffith answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 89.5% average across other homes by 10.5 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect (86% against 95.9%) and whether they feel safe (93% against 96.5%).
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 93.2%. In all, answers on 4 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about the training staff receive. Of residents asked whether staff know what they are doing, 29% answered “always”, 50% “most of the time” and 21% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 50% of residents surveyed at Uniting Griffith answered “always” and 50% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Uniting Griffith?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 65% of residents surveyed at Uniting Griffith said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 5.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 72% in 2024. Another 36% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Uniting Griffith in January to March 2026 was $15 per resident per day, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Uniting Griffith reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
Uniting Griffith reports that breakfast, lunch and dinner are all cooked fresh. All meals are prepared on site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
65% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does Uniting Griffith provide?
In January to March 2026, Uniting Griffith reported 222 minutes of care per resident per day, 2 minutes above its target of 220 minutes. Of those minutes, 42 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
In two of the last four quarters, Uniting Griffith met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 222 to 232.
Who provides that care?
Of the 222 minutes, personal care workers provided 177 (79.7%), followed by registered nurses (42 minutes, 18.9%) and enrolled nurses (3 minutes, 1.4%). Uniting Griffith also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Uniting Griffith spend on resident care?
Total spending at Uniting Griffith in the 2024–25 financial year was $489.27 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 55.3% of it. Care and nursing spending of $270.77 was 2% above the sector median of $264.85. These amounts are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Spending on other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($124.41), administration ($52.66), and cleaning and laundry ($19.37) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($161.38) and registered nurses ($61.22).
